Malaysian court drops drug charges against Australian nurse

An Australian nurse facing the death penalty in Malaysia over the discovery of a kilogram of methamphetamine has been sensationally freed during a court hearing in Kuala Lumpur.

Emma Louise L'Aiguille, 34, is a Melbourne nurse who had been travelling intermittently to Kuala Lumpur since 2009 to visit her boyfriend, a Nigerian national.

She was sitting in a car with another Nigerian man on July 17 when Malaysian police raided the car and found the drugs hidden under a rear seat.

Anyone convicted of the possession of more than 50 grams of illicit drugs in Malaysia faces a mandatory death penalty.

But in a court hearing on Friday the prosecution withdrew all charges against her and released her from custody. The deal was made in return for her agreeing to assist in the prosecution of the second accused, Anthony Ndidi Esikalam.

She is required to remain in Malaysia until his case is decided.

Speaking to Fairfax outside court today, Ms L'Aiguille said she felt ''like a million dollars''.

''I'm free. I've actually been released, and for something I didn't do,'' she said.

Her lawyer, Tania Scivetti, said she was particularly pleased with the outcome as it was rare for foreigners to be released on such serious charges so early in the proceedings.

''We said from day one she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. She was just sitting in the car and the drugs were concealed. She knew nothing about it.''

Ms L'Aiguille's now former boyfriend and a third Nigerian man had been sitting in the car, but had got out and left only minutes before the raid. The pair remain at large.

Ms L'Aiguille was the second Australian this year to face the death penalty after being accused of drug trafficking in Malaysia.

A Perth man, Dominic Jude Christopher Bird, 32, was arrested on March 1 by police at a Kuala Lumpur coffee shop. They allege he tried to sell them 167 grams of methamphetamine.